Thompson Bay

Chapter 6

Elwood watched Ray's arrival with mild interest and remained in his office, letting the receptionist bring Ray the ten feet from her desk to his door.

"Mr. Simmons to see you, sir."

"Appointment?" Elwood sniffed. His eyes traveled up and down Ray as if assessing value.

"No sir, he—"

"I want to talk to you about O'Hare's cottage." Ray butted in.

Elwood puffed his cheeks and frowned. The intrusion was unwelcome but the topic was one he suddenly felt obliged to hear. "Come in. Take a seat." Not a thank you to the woman. Not a welcome to him. Business must be plentiful in Thompson Bay. Ray entered and sat.

"You said something about the O'Hare's cottage?"

"Yes, I'm following up an investigation into the death of the young university student on their property. Adelaide Balfour?"

Elwood threw up his hands. "I know her name. This is a small town, Mr. Simmons. We don't have that kind of criminal activity so often that we forget names."

Pompous prick, Ray thought. "Right. So, I understand you handled the payment for the lease."

"Where did you get that information?"

"From Mrs. O'Hare. So you did handle the transaction?"

"Yes-s-s." Cautious. Uncertain.

"Could you tell me what form that took. Was it cheque? Cash? Credit card?"

"It is not the policy of this bank to discuss our client's personal business."

"I'm not asking an amount, just a method."

"Why would you need that?"

"I don't know if I do. I told you, I'm just following up on the investigation."

"Is this official? Are you an officer of the court or something?"

"Or something." Ray was beginning to itch over the man's attitude. "Is there some reason you don't want to tell me?"

"As I mentioned, Mr. Simmons, the bank's policy—"

"According to the provincial police report, and Mrs. O'Hare, a cheque deposit for two hundred was paid directly to the O'Hares account. Mr. Oliver Atturra stated that he paid a balance of twelve hundred dollars to this bank in cash the day after the killing."

Elwood cinched his lips. "If you already knew why did you ask?" A thin line of dampness appeared over his lip.

"Because Mrs. O'Hare told me the total rent was to be nine hundred. There seems to be a five hundred dollar discrepancy."

Elwood's face lit up in shades of pink and his eyes began a furtive dance around his desk. "There uh- there was an additional charge for cleaning up the beach, they made a terrible mess."

"Who did the clean up?"

"Huh?"

"The five hundred. Who got that for cleaning up?"

Elwood's face turned rosier and his finger poked between his neck and his collar. "I am not discussing the personal financial affairs—"

"That's fine, I can check back with Mr. O'Hare." Ray looked down at his notes but he could feel the heat from the banker. "What would interest me the most, Mr. Peters, is why eleven students were allowed to stay in a cottage rented, according to this statement by the lessee, for two couples?"

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about?"

"Well you had a copy of the lease from the O'Hares, did they say there was going to be a whole gang staying there?"